I don't even know if you get on this site anymore, but I'm glad I found this thread. I've had the feeling you're describing several times, but never taken the time to look into it, I don't know why; probably because, like you said, it doesn't last long and is so weird--almost like you're in a trance, and when you come out its just this--almost mental numbness where you just exist.
I had never mental recognized the visual illusion like you mentioned, but I read this, I realized I have that too. It lingers longer than the "speed increase" I experience.
This hasn't happened a lot. In fact, I couldn't tell you how many times it has happened. At least 3 or 4 during my adult life at least. The whole time it's happening, I am trying to figure out how fast my body is moving. I can never tell. I thought this time, I wish I could film myself to watch when the feeling passes. I try to slow down my body despite how fast I feel like I'm going, but I wonder if by doing that I'm actually moving much slower than I would normally. I just can't tell at all how fast I'm physically moving. I've also never experienced it when I'm not alone. So I've never actually been talking or listening to anyone when it happened, so I don't know what that would be like. I'm curious to find out though--so if it ever happened again I will be sure to speak out loud and see what it sounds like to me. Perhaps that will give me a reference to how fast I'm physically moving as I can use the two as reference.
I just find it so interesting that other people experience the same thing. I've never actually talked to anyone about it. I also have bipolar disorder, but I manage it with medication and I am not in a manic or depressive state whenever these episodes have happened. Anyway---just thought I'd respond, despite my years of tardiness
It's therapeutic to purge these things to people who have also experienced them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Toller
Hi,
Not sure what this is. For as long as I can remember I get this strange feeling coming over me every now and again where everything around me and myself is moving extremely fast, a bit like watching a video tape in fast forward, even slight movements seem fast and anything I hear seems fast as well. I don't know if my breathing becomes fast or not but it seems like it to me. I have to sit or lie still without moving and keep my eyes shut and concentrate on my breathing (slowing it down whether it is fast or not) until it passes. It can last for anywhere between 1 to 10 minutes and can happen anytime, anywhere for no apparent reason. I could be in a busy crowded street or lying peacefully in my bed just resting. It used to happen maybe only 2-3 times in a year maximum but it has happened several times in the last few months. There's also another strange feeling that comes along with it which is difficult to describe. It's like distances and objects are warped (nothing to do with my sight as I can see it is normal) but it "feels" like an object or thing can be both up very close to me almost touching and yet miles away from me at the same time and my body can "feel" like it is huge and bloated and also small and paper thin. In a way like one of those optical illusions like the old woman and young woman or the duck and the rabbit where at one point you see the duck and then suddenly with barely a shift you see the rabbit only it's not optical, it's a "feeling". I spoke to my therapist first about it but she told me to speak to my doctor, but then my doctor thinks it's in my mind???? The same doctors that told me my headaches and dizzy spells were in my mind when I actually had high blood pressure causing them!!!! Took them 3 years to figure that one out. Has anyone experienced these same feelings or have any idea what it is?
|